BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2421

By: Davis

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised regarding the disclosure of information regarding the travel patterns of consumers who use mobile applications to purchase public transit tickets. There have been calls to protect this personal information, which may include information relating to trip time, date, origin, and destination, and demographic data, from public disclosure. H.B. 2421 seeks to address this issue by excepting from disclosure under state public information law a person's trip data and other personal information collected by a regional transportation authority.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2421 amends the Transportation Code to make the following information collected by a regional transportation authority confidential and excepted from disclosure under state public information law:

· a person's trip data, including the time, date, origin, and destination of a trip, and demographic information collected when the person purchases a ticket or schedules a trip; and

· other personal information.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.